Nature's Way, Chiang Mai, Day 3

It's an early morning, and it certainly feels early today. Despite the early night last night it is hard to drag ourselves out of bed, even though we are very excited to spend a morning with the elephants. The minibus picks us up just after 6.30, and we are joined by an Italian couple who look as bleary eyed and half awake as we do. The only other person to board is a Polish girl who is travelling alone, and soon enough we are on our way. It is great to be in such a small group, but we are still a bit too tired to truly feel excited yet.
As the minutes pass by in the van, we head out of the city in a direction which I guess is north due to the mountainous countryside that we enter. It isn't long before we have pulled off the busy main road and begin to climb one of these mountains. The minibus is almost silent as everyone in it is fast asleep, but I struggle to get to sleep in these things, especially as we are being thrown left and right as the bus rags itself around some incredibly tight bends as it climbs. the views are pretty breathtaking though, and more then enough to keep me occupied as we slowly climb and climb. It isn't long before we reach a few villages, and soon enough we see some elephants wandering up the side of the road with locals sat on their head directing them. It's an odd sight to see, especially when your mind still isn't fully awake. We pass by a few elephant reserves, ranging from small with only a few elephants, to much bigger. By now excitement is kicking in, and soon enough we pull down a small and very bumpy dirt road and stop. We all clamber out and take in the beautiful surroundings that we have stumbled into. Mountains surround us on almost every side, one of which is the biggest in Thailand (and which showcasing a very cold stream as we find out later on) and luscious green fields lead right up to them. What's more exciting is the family of six elephants standing in a field slightly uphill from the small keep where we stand.
After a brief introduction and question and answer session with the incredibly informative and friendly guide Singha (like the beer) it is time for us to meet the family. We wander up with huge stacks of grass over our shoulder and a bag of fruit each, with the excitement fading to nerves slightly as the size of these animals dawns on us. We are dressed in traditional tops, which the elephants know means food, so they come walking over to us rather quickly. It's enough to worry everyone slightly, but they stop just in front of us and throw their trunk out in search of food. The grass is thrown onto the floor and the fruit is placed into the trunk or the mouth as the elephants devour it as if it's nothing. It is great fun to spend some time with these wonderful creatures, who are incredibly calm and gentle, apart from the mischievous baby Dumbo who seems to be a lot more active then the others, snatching food straight from the bags. One of them has learnt to wrap his trunk around people and then plant a kiss on their face, which is as fun as it is disgusting.
After some time stroking the animals and getting some photos, it is bath time. We follow three of the elephants down to the stream, and get in. It is incredibly cold at first, and the temperature is not helped by the guides throwing buckets of the icy water down your backs. After a while of being soaked in it though your body seems to get used to it, and before we know it we are in with the elephants. They lay down as we throw water all over them before rubbing it in. They seem to enjoy it as they squirm and roll playfully in the water. It is hard to forget the enormity of them as they walk back through the water and we pose for a group photo. They seem so friendly and nice, but I wouldn't want one to stand on my foot!
After the bathing we eat dinner. The Dumbo elephant crew serve a great buffet of sweet and sour and curry, and we dry off in the Sun watching the elephants make their way back to camp. A large group that start later then us come in as we finish eating and start their day, which makes us very glad we started early in a much smaller group. After a final goodbye and a few more minutes with them, we again board the bus, ready for the journey back home.
This time, I do manage to get to sleep, along with everyone else on board. It doesn't seem long before we are back in Chiang Mai, ready to relax and process what a great day it has been. We only head out again once more for tea, which is at a great place. i try pad sea-ew which is like a spicy, big noodle dish and tastes great. After that we do a spot of shopping before heading back. The day has knackered us out. We will sleep well tonight!Read more